Apparatus for and methods of rapidly chilling a beverage

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for and method of rapidly chilling a beverage in which a vessel having high thermal mass relative to the amount of beverage to be introduced into the vessel is cooled through contact with a cooling module to a temperature low enough that a volume of beverage introduced into the vessel is rapidly cooled.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/975,464 filed Dec. 18, 2015.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates devices and methods for chilling beverages. An example of such a system is one that would be used in the commercial establishment such as a bar or restaurant for rapid chilling beverages for sale to a customer. Such a system could also be used in a consumer setting.

BACKGROUND

There are circumstances were it would be advantageous to be able to chill a beverage very quickly. For example, in a commercial establishment selling beverages it would be extremely useful to be able to rapidly cool small volumes of the beverage to a very cold temperature relatively quickly. This would permit the establishment to serve “frozen shots” or larger volumes of chilled beverages rapidly and on demand. A device for effecting such rapid cooling is, however, difficult to implement in practice because of the amount of time it takes using conventional methods to simultaneously cool both the vessel and the beverage within the vessel down to a very cold temperature, e.g., at or near the freezing point of water.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of the embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor set limits on the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

According to one aspect, there is disclosed an apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising a base, a cover connected to the base, the cover comprising at least one cooling station, and a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned to be in thermal communication with the cooling station. The cooling station is adapted to receive a heat conductive bottom portion of a vessel such that the bottom portion of the vessel is in thermal communication with the cooling unit when the bottom portion is received by the cooling station. The cooling unit is adapted to cool the vessel when empty and when the bottom portion is received by the cooling station to a temperature below −5° C. in less than about four minutes.

The cooling unit may comprise a thermoelectric element having a ΔT in the range of about 80° C. to about 90° C. when the hot side temperature of the thermoelectric element is in the range of about 25° C. to about 35° C. The cooling station may comprise a recessed receptacle aperture.

The apparatus may include a second cooling station and a second cooling unit connected to the base and positioned to be in thermal communication with the second cooling station, the second cooling station being adapted to receive a second heat conductive bottom portion of a second vessel such that the second bottom portion is in thermal communication with the second cooling unit when the second bottom portion is received by the second cooling station, the second cooling unit being adapted to cool the second vessel when empty and when the second bottom portion is received by the cooling station to a temperature below −5° C. in less than four minutes. The second cooling unit may comprise a second thermoelectric element having a ΔT in the range of about 80° C. to about 90° C. when the hot side temperature of the thermoelectric element is in the range of about 25° C. to about 35° C.

According to another aspect, there is disclosed an apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising a base, a cover connected to the base and including a cooling station, a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned within the cover beneath the cooling station, and a vessel having a heat conductive bottom portion and received by the cooling station in such a manner that at least the heat conductive bottom portion is in thermal communication with the cooling unit. The cooling unit is adapted to cool the vessel when received by the cooling station and when empty to an initial temperature below −10° C. in less than about four minutes. The vessel may be made of a material, the material heat capacity, the amount of material, and an initial temperature below 0° C. as a result of cooling by the cooling unit before introduction of the beverage being selected so that the vessel chills a predetermined volume of a beverage to a serving temperature in a first amount of time less than the amount of time required for the cooling unit to cool the vessel to the initial temperature.

According to another aspect, there is disclosed an apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising a base, a cover connected to the base and including a cooling station, a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned within the cover beneath the cooling station, and a vessel having a heat conductive bottom portion and received by the cooling station in such a manner that at least the heat conductive bottom portion is in thermal communication with the cooling unit. The vessel is adapted so that after the cooling unit cools the vessel to a temperature below 10° C. the vessel is able to cool a fluid added to the vessel to a temperature below 10° C. in less than one minute.

According to another aspect, there is disclosed an apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising a base; a cover connected to the base; a recessed receptacle aperture located in a top surface of the cover extending beneath the cover, a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned within the cover beneath the receptacle aperture; and a vessel received by the cooling station and in thermal communication with the cooling unit, the cooling unit being adapted to cool the vessel to an initial temperature. The vessel is adapted to receive and chill a beverage added to the vessel while the vessel remains in thermal communication with the cooling unit. The vessel is made of a material, the material heat capacity, the amount of material, and an initial temperature below 0° C. as a result of cooling by the cooling unit before introduction of the beverage being selected so that the vessel chills a predetermined volume of a beverage to a serving temperature in a first amount of time less than the amount of time required for the cooling unit to cool the vessel to the initial temperature. The initial temperature may be in the range of about −30° C. to about −5° C. The serving temperature is in the range of about −5° C. to about 15° C. The first amount of time may be less than about 60 seconds. Cooling of the beverage within the vessel is a beverage cooling cycle caused by transfer of heat from the beverage to the vessel. The cooling unit includes a thermoelectric cooler. The cooling unit may also include first and second thermally conductive layers, with the thermoelectric cooler between and in thermal communication with the first and second thermally conductive layers.

The apparatus may also include a heat dispersal system for dispersing waste heat generated by the cooling unit. The heat dispersal system may use fluid to carry heat away from the cooling unit. The apparatus may also include a sensor for sensing the temperature of the vessel when the vessel is in the receptacle aperture and/or a sensor for sensing an operational status of the cooling unit.

The vessel may have a predetermined nonplanar shape and a top surface of the cooling unit may be arranged such that the base of the vessel rests on the top surface of the cooling unit and the top surface of the cooling unit may have a shape that conforms to the shape of the base of the vessel. The vessel may be made a material having a specific heat capacity in the range of about 0.2 J/g° C. to about 4 J/g° C. The vessel may comprise aluminum and/or copper and/or gold or some combination and/or alloy of these materials.

According to another aspect, there is disclosed a method of chilling a beverage, the method comprising the steps of placing a vessel in thermal contact with a cooling unit, a first cooling step in which the cooling unit cools the vessel an initial temperature below 5° C., adding the beverage to the vessel while the vessel remains in thermal contact with the cooling unit; and a second cooling step wherein the beverage is cooled to a serving temperature by transfer of heat from the beverage to the vessel. The method may also include a step before the placing step of providing the vessel made of an amount X of a material, the material having a specific heat H, wherein X, H, and the initial temperature are selected so that during the second cooling step the vessel chills the beverage to the serving temperature in a first amount of time less than the amount of time required for the cooling unit to cool the vessel to the initial temperature.

According to another aspect, there is disclosed a vessel for holding a beverage, the vessel comprising a lower portion comprising a thermally conductive material and an upper portion comprising a thermally insulating material. The vessel may include an RFID chip implanted in the vessel to provide identifying information concerning the vessel. The base of the vessel may include a protrusion protruding into an interior volume of the vessel and/or a recess in an exterior of the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage chilling system according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is an exploded view of the beverage chilling system of FIG. 1 showing internal components of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is an exploded view of another embodiment of a beverage chilling system showing an arrangement for internal components.

FIGS. 2C-2E are views of a preferred embodiment of a pedestal-shaped first thermally conductive plate 110 for use with the embodiment of FIG. 2B.

FIGS. 2F and 2G are views of a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly for use with the embodiment of FIG. 2B.

FIG. 3A is a plan view of the beverage chilling system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a partially cutaway view of the beverage chilling system of FIG. 3A taken a long line A-A of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a close-up away view of a portion of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 3D is a close-up away view of an alternative embodiment for the arrangement depicted FIG. 3C.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram for components of the beverage chilling system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a possible control panel for the beverage chilling system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of a vessel such as could be used in conjunction with the beverage chilling system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of another vessel such as could be used in conjunction with the beverage chilling system of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show additional views of vessels and cooling arrangements.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a method according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the breakdown of a serving cycle according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a graph showing dependence of time to achieve a serving temperature on vessel mass and initial temperature.

FIG. 11B is a graph showing dependence of time to achieve an operational temperature on vessel mass.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to promote a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. It may be evident in some or all instances, however, that any embodiment described below can be practiced without adopting the specific design details described below. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate description of one or more embodiments.

With initial reference to FIG. 1 there is shown a perspective view of a beverage chilling system 10 according to one aspect of the invention. The chilling system 10 includes a base plate 20 and a cover 30 connected to the base plate 20 which houses a refrigeration apparatus described more fully below. As used here and elsewhere in this specification, the phrase “connected to” is intended to mean that there is a mechanical connection between two elements so that movement of one is at least partially physically constrained with respect to the other, either directly or through intermediate elements.

The cover 30 includes at least one cooling station 90. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the cooling station is in the form of a receptacle aperture 40. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 there are four receptacle apertures 40 arranged in a line. It will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that any number of receptacle apertures 40 can be used and that other arrangements can be used. Each of the receptacle apertures 40 is dimensioned to receive a vessel 50 which will be described in more detail below. In the embodiment shown, the receptacle apertures 40 are all the same size, but it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that this is not necessary and that the receptacle apertures 40 could be of various sizes. As described more fully below in connection with FIGS. 8A and 8B, the cooling station 90 need not be arranged below the surface of the cover 30 but can instead be flush with the top surface of the cover 30 or may even protrude above the top surface of the cover 30.

Also as shown in FIG. 1, the beverage chilling system 10 may include one or more status indicators 60 which may be LEDs which provide information indicative of the status of an associated one or of more than one of the cooling stations 90 or of the overall beverage chilling system 10. Status may include the temperature of the cooling stations 90 or of a vessel 50 received by the cooling station 90 or whether there is an object other than a vessel 50 in the receptacle aperture 40 as described more fully below. The beverage chilling system 10 may also include a user interface 70, an on/off switch 80, and one or more vents 550 for venting hot exhaust air.

Preferably the cover 30 is made of an insulating material and provided with an easy-to-clean and aesthetically pleasing surface treatment. An insulating material could prevent a user from injuring themselves from the extreme cold and also to make the unit more convenient to handle. The cover 30 is preferably dimensioned so that the overall beverage chilling system 10 can have a relatively compact footprint. For example, the beverage chilling system 10 can be about 10 cm tall, about 50 cm wide, and about 30 cm deep, but other dimensions and aspect ratios are possible.

FIG. 2A is a partially exploded perspective view of an arrangement of components with the cover 30 removed. As can be seen, underlying each receptacle aperture 40 (see FIG. 1) there is a cooling module 100 made up a first conductive plate 110, second conductive plate 130, and a cooling element 120 sandwiched between them. In a presently preferred embodiment, the first conductive plate 110 and the second conductive plate 130 are preferably made of a metallic material such as copper. In the embodiment shown, the base of the vessel 50 rests directly on top of first conductive plate 110 but it will be readily understood that additional heat conductive elements may be interposed between the base of the vessel 50 and the top of first conductive plate 110.

In a present preferred embodiment, the cooling element 120 is preferably a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element. Because of the thermal loads imposed by relatively rapid chilling the vessel 50, which typically exceed those imposed by conventional applications, it is presently preferred to use a two-stage Peltier element. One measure of the refrigerating capacity of a thermoelectric element is AT, which is a measure of the temperature differential the thermoelectric element can maintain between its hot side and its cold side at a given temperature for the hot side. In a presently preferred embodiment, it is preferred to use a thermoelectric element having a ΔT in the range of about 80° C. to about 90° C. when the hot side temperature of the thermoelectric element is in the range of about 25° C. to about 35° C. A thermoelectric element meeting these criteria is a Model FPK2-19808NC element from Qinhuangdao Fulianjing Electronic Co Ltd., but it will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other devices can be used as cooling elements 120.

Another figure of merit for a preferred implementation of the cooling element 120 is its efficiency and how much heat it can transport. A presently preferred cooling rate more than about 20 Watts, and more preferably more than about 35 Watts, and most preferably more than 50 Watts.

The Model FPK2-19808NC mentioned above is rated to be able to transport approximately 50 Watts per element at 12 V and 6 Amps. The cooling efficiency of such an element is 50 Watts/(12 V*6 Amps)=0.7. Choosing an element with lower heat transportation capabilities would result in a longer cooling time. Choosing an element with lower efficiency would increase the power consumption of the system.

When the vessel 50 is placed in the receptacle aperture 40 (see FIG. 1), the base of the vessel 50 will come into thermal communication (e.g., contact) with and rest on the top of the first conductive plate 110 (or, equivalently, a heat conductive element or elements in thermal communication with the first conductive plate 110). The first conductive plate 110 acts as a thermal transfer element which draws heat from the bottom of a vessel 50 placed in the receptacle aperture 40. The first conductive plate 110 is in turn in thermal communication with a cooling element 120. As used here and elsewhere in this specification, the phrase “thermal communication” is intended to mean that there is a path through heat conductive elements along which heat can flow. The embodiment of FIG. 2A includes one cooling element 120 for each receptacle aperture 40. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate, however, that any suitable number of cooling elements 120 may be used and that any suitable number of cooling elements 120 and conductive plates 110 and 130 may be used.

The cooling elements 120 are preferably supplied with a power through a power cord 140. The power cord 140 is connected to an external power supply 150. It is preferred to position the power supply 150 away from the other components of the beverage chilling system 10 so that heat generated by the power supply 150 does not contribute to the heat load imposed upon the cooling elements 120. However, it may also be possible to place the power supply 150 inside the cover 30. Also shown in FIG. 2 is an electronics module 160 which houses the electronic components for the displays and control systems described more fully below.

The embodiment of FIG. 2A also preferably includes a system for dispersing the heat produced by the cooling elements 120. In the presently preferred embodiment, it is preferred to use a liquid-based heat dispersal system but one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that an air-based system could be used as well. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the heat dispersal system includes a pump module 170 located at the base of the cooling module 100 adjacent to the bottom surface of the second conductive plate 130. Each pump module 170 is connected to a radiator assembly 180 through tubing 190. The radiator assemblies 180 are in turn cooled by forced air from a fan assembly 200.

FIG. 2B shows another possible embodiment according to this disclosure. Details for the embodiment of FIG. 2B are in essence the same as those for the embodiment of FIG. 2A except as follows. In the embodiment of FIG. 2B the cover 30 has four receptacle apertures 40 but similar to the embodiment of FIG. 8A the aperture 40 receives a pedestal-shaped first thermally conductive plate 110 as descried more fully below in connection with FIGS. 2C-2E with a cylindrical projection upwards through the aperture 40 so that the top, exposed surface of the cold plate is essentially flush with the top surface of the cover 30. The vessel 50 is then placed on the top exposed surface of the first thermally conductive plate 110. Also shown is a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly 600 described more fully below in connection with FIG. 2F having a central aperture through which the cylindrical projection of the pedestal-shaped first thermally conductive plate 110 projects. PCB assembly 600 is provided with a light guide and sensors as described more fully below. Also as shown all components of the beverage chilling system 10 are supported by a base plate 20 preferably formed of a single piece of a bent metallic material such as aluminum.

The embodiment of FIG. 2B is air-cooled. The cooling elements 120 are preferably in thermal contact with a heat sink vapor chamber 560. There may be one vapor chamber for each cooling element or the cooling elements may share one or more vapor chambers. In a presently preferred embodiment there are two vapor chambers each of which is in thermal contact with a respective pair of cooling elements. The vapor chamber is a known two-phase heat spreading device. They contain a coolant that changes phase as it is heated. The vaporized coolant flows through the chamber and condenses on cold surfaces, dissipates its heat load, and is channeled back to a coolant reservoir. Vapor chambers provide thermal performance that is far superior to that achievable with traditional solid metal heat spreaders at reduced weight and height. They can be placed in direct contact with the heat source and enable more uniform heat spreading in all directions.

A preferred embodiment of a pedestal-shaped first thermally conductive plate 110 for use with the embodiment of FIG. 2B is shown in FIGS. 2C-2E. As shown, it includes a cylindrical projection 112 and a base plate 114. The cylindrical projection 112 is intended to project upwards through the aperture 40 so that the upper circular surface of the cylindrical projection 112 is substantially flush with an upper surface of the cover 40.

FIGS. 2F and 2G are views of a PCB 600 which could be advantageously used in the embodiment of FIG. 2B. The PCB 600 has a central aperture 610 through which the cylindrical projection 112 of pedestal-shaped first thermally conductive plate 110 projects. A liquid proof ring 620 surrounds the central aperture 610 and seals the assembly from moisture which would otherwise be introduced through the aperture 40. The material for the liquid proof ring 620 has a thermal coefficient of expansion which is selected to ensure that the ring 620 maintains a liquid proof seal at anticipated operating temperatures. The ring 620 is also preferably made of a material that can transmit or conduct light and can relay light from a light guide member 630 to provide a visual indication of cooling station status as described more fully below. Also shown is a temperature sensor 640 intended to measure the temperature of a vessel 50 placed on the top of the pedestal-shaped first thermally conductive plate 110. The temperature sensor is preferably placed inside the light guide to improve its sensitivity and protect the temperature sensor from water condensation.

The PCB 600 of FIGS. 2F and 2G also includes sensors 650 for detecting the presence of a vessel 50. The sensors 650 are preferably inductive sensors. The PCB 600 of FIGS. 2F and 2G also includes reference sensors 660 which are used to measure a background signal which can be subtracted from the signal from the sensors 650 as noise thus making the measurement by sensors 650 more robust.

FIG. 3A is the top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and shows possible relative positions of the receptacle aperture 40, vessel 50, status indicators 60, and user interface 70.

FIG. 3B is a cut away view of the embodiment of FIG. 3A taken along line A-A of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3B shows a preferred arrangement for the vessel 50 in the receptacle aperture 40 so that the vessel 50 rests on top of first conductive plate 110. Also, it is possible that during operation some fluid could spill into the receptacle aperture 40 or that condensation on the vessel 50 or in the receptacle aperture 40 could introduce fluid into the receptacle aperture 40. To prevent this fluid from reaching the internal components of the beverage chilling system 10, is presently preferred to interpose a seal 220 between the receptacle aperture 40 and the interior of beverage chilling system 10. This seal 220 is shown more fully in FIG. 3C which shows an annular seal 220. The seal 220 may be comprised of any material or combination of materials that will create a fluid seal at low temperatures between the cover 30 and the first conductive plate 110. For example, the seal 220 can be made an annular piece of translucent silicone rubber pressed between the first conductive plate 110 and the cover 30. This arrangement has the advantage that the seal 220 can act as a light guide to disperse light from an LED 210 disposed in the aperture 40.

At or near the receptacle aperture 40 there is preferably provided a sensor package 230. In this context, “near” means sufficiently proximate that the sensors in the sensor package 230 can detect conditions in the receptacle after 40 as well as in a vessel 50 placed in receptacle aperture 40. The sensor package 230 is preferably supplied with a temperature sensor 240 (see FIG. 4) which detects the temperature of the vessel 50 when it is in the receptacle aperture 40. The temperature sensor 240 also preferably detects the temperature of the receptacle aperture 40.

The sensor package 230 is also preferably supplied with a physical condition sensor 250 (see FIG. 4) that can detect when a foreign object such as a finger has been inserted into the receptacle aperture 40. The physical condition sensor 250 is configured to discriminate between a foreign object such as a finger and the vessel 50. If a foreign object is detected in a receptacle aperture 40, the cooling element 120 associated with that receptacle aperture 40 may be shut down until the physical condition sensor 250 detects that the foreign object is no longer present. The physical condition sensor 250 can also be configured to detect when there is an excess amount of liquid either in the receptacle aperture 40 or in a vessel 50 in the receptacle aperture 40. If an excess fluid volume condition is detected, the cooling element 120 associated with that receptacle temperature 40 may be shut down until the physical condition sensor 250 detects that the excess fluid volume condition has been corrected.

The beverage chilling system 10 may also include a system status sensor 260 (see FIG. 4) for detecting when the overall temperature of the beverage chilling system 10 falls outside of a predetermined range (too high or too low) and can trigger a CPU 270 to run a diagnostic routine or cause the beverage chilling system 10 to shut down.

FIG. 3D shows an alternative embodiment in which the vessel 50 is made up of two parts, a top part 50 a and a bottom part 50 b. The bottom part 50 b is dimensioned and configured to fit in receptacle aperture 40 and project above the top of cover 30. In the embodiment shown, the bottom part 50 b is cylindrical. The bottom part 50 b is preferably made of a thermally conductive material, and preferably the same material as the top part 50 a. In use, the bottom part 50 b is placed in receptacle aperture 40 and the top part 50 a is placed on top of the bottom part 50 b as shown. The combination of the bottom part 50 b and the top part 50 a are then cooled to an initial operational temperature. Alternatively, the bottom part 50 b can be cooled to an initial operational temperature and then the top part 50 a can be placed on top of the bottom part 50 b. Once the combination reaches the initial operational temperature then beverage to be added to the top part 50 a. As an alternative, once the combination reaches the operational temperature, the combination can be removed from the receptacle aperture 40 and placed on a flat surface, at which point the beverage is then added to the top part 50 a.

As mentioned, it is preferable to include a ventilation system to remove waste heat generated by the cooling elements 120. As described, this ventilation system may include a radiator assembly 180 and a fan assembly 200 forcing air past the radiator assembly 180 and outside of the cover 30. For this purpose the cover 30 may be provided with a series of vents 550 as shown in FIG. 1. The vents 550 are preferably positioned and configured to blow the warm air away from a user or other persons in proximity to the beverage chilling system 10 such as patrons.

As mentioned, in high humidity environments it is possible that condensation can occur within the aperture 40 as well as on a vessel 50 placed within the aperture 40. It is preferable that liquid water produced by this condensation not be permitted to collect at a position where it could freeze and obstruct the aperture 40 or cause damage to internal components. Therefore, in such circumstances, it is preferable to provide a means for the water produced by condensation to drain away from the base of the aperture 40 and be collected elsewhere.

Also as mentioned, the receptacle aperture 40 may be provided with a temperature sensor. It is also possible to provide the vessel 50 with a temperature sensor which may be a small sensor/display combination. The vessel-mounted sensor could also include thermochromic paint or one or more pieces of thermochromic plastic that change color depending on their temperature.

The various sensors described above make up part of an overall control system 280 that also includes the CPU 270. One possible arrangement for such a control system is shown in FIG. 4, which is a functional block diagram. The control system 280 includes the CPU 270 and an I/O interface 290. The I/O interface is connected to one or more switches, sensors, displays, communication systems, and controllers. For example, the physical on/off switch 80 may be connected to the I/O interface 290. The vessel/receptacle temperature sensor 230 may be connected to the I/O interface 290. Various additional sensors may also be connected to the control system 280 through the I/O interface 290. For example, a tilt sensor 300 which detects when the beverage chilling system 10 has been tipped may be connected to the I/O interface 290. The system status sensor 260 may also be connected to the I/O interface 290. The physical condition sensor 250 may also be connected to the I/O interface 290.

The I/O interface 290 may also be connected to one or more communications interfaces 310. The communications interface 310 may be any device for communicating data to or from the CPU 270 and an outside device. For example, the communications interface 310 may be a USB interface, or an Ethernet interface. The communications interface 310 may additionally or alternately include a wireless interface such a WiFi, Bluetooth, or an NFC interface.

The I/O interface 290 may also be connected to a reader 365. The reader 365 can be configured in a known manner to read material relevant to a particular vessel 50 or to a particular beverage. This material could be a barcode on the side of the vessel 50 or a barcode located elsewhere. The material could also be an RFID tag located within the vessel 50 as described more fully below. It will also be appreciated that the ranger 365 need not be integral with the beverage chilling system 10 and could instead be one of the external devices serving as external device 360.

The I/O interface 290 may also be connected to one or more indicators, displays, or user interfaces. For example, the I/O interface 290 may be connected to LEDs that serve as status indicators 60. The LEDs can change color from, for example, red to blue when the vessel 50 has reached an operational temperature or when the combination of the beverage and the vessel 50 reaches the desired serving temperature.

The I/O interface 290 may also be connected to the user interface 70. The user interface 70 may be a knob for adjusting temperature, or it may be more complex, including, for example, a touchscreen and an array of indicators. Several possible arrangements for the user interface 70 are shown in FIG. 5. The user interface in the first panel of embodiment of FIG. 5 has a digital display 420 which can show an actual temperature, a set temperature, or both of one of the receptacle apertures 40 and/or a vessel 50 in the receptacle aperture 40. A display such as that shown in the first panel can also include a status indicator 430. As shown in the second panel, the user interface 70 can also display an amount of time before the receptacle aperture 40 will reach a predetermined operational temperature when the vessel is ready to receive a beverage or when the combination of the vessel 50 and a beverage that has been added to it will reach a predetermined serving temperature. This time could be displayed in a “countdown” manner. The times could be determined, for example, either using an algorithm or a lookup table based on measured or entered parameters such as actual temperatures or set temperatures. As shown in the next panel, the user interface 70 may include the ability to select one or more preset cooling profiles stored in the memory 440 (see FIG. 4) either originally or as added or modified by a user. The user interface 70 may also include touch sensitive areas 450 associated with controls to set the predetermined operational temperature or a serving temperature, or selection of a program.

The user interface 270 can also be implemented as software operating on a computer or as an application on a smart phone or tablet or other wireless communication device. To implement this, the communications interface 310 could be configured to interface with an external device 360 such as a wireless enabled device such as a computer, tablet, or cell phone. The user could use an application on the mobile device to control operation of the beverage chilling system 10. In a commercial establishment the external device 360 could be the establishment's vending system and the communications interface 310 could be configured to exchange data wirelessly with the establishment's vending system so as to create a record every time the beverage chilling system 10 is used. This could help reduce loss due to pilferage or excessive “comping” of patrons. If the external device 360 is a wireless enabled device such as a computer, tablet, or cell phone, an application could be installed on the external device 360 and the user interface for the application could, for example, be a visual representation of a display with controls such as anyone or combination of the arrangements shown in FIG. 5.

The control system 280 can also include various control units such as a cooling element power control unit 370 for each of the cooling elements 120. The cooling element power control unit 370 preferably uses pulse width modulated control of the cooling elements in which a duty cycle of pulses is used to control the average power supplied to the cooling elements.

If the beverage chilling system 10 has a pre-chill unit, then the control system 280 can also include a pre-chill power control 380 which would be electrically connected to a pre-chill cooling element 390. The control system can also include a fan power control 400 electrically connected to a fan motor 410 to control operation of the fan assembly 200. The fan speed can be controlled automatically to be greater when a vessel is present (as detected for example by the sensors 650) so that the cooling load on the cooling elements is increased and causing them to generate more waste heat.

There may also be provision for reversing the polarity of the cooling elements so that they heat rather than cool. This could be useful if an excess amount of ice accumulates at the receptacle 40 which may interfere with operation or even cause the vessel 50 to become trapped in or on the receptacle 40.

The vessel 50 may be made of any one of several materials. The material is preferably selected so that the thermal capacity of the material and the mass of material used ensure sufficient thermal mass to cool the beverage introduced into the vessel 50 sufficiently quickly. Suitable materials include aluminum, copper, gold, or silver, or their alloys, or steel. Alternatively, one part of the vessel 50 may be made from one material and another part may be made from another material. This permits the use of an insulating material on the parts of the vessel 50 likely to come into contact with a user's fingers or lips. Aluminum in the vessels 50 may be anodized. The external surface of the vessel may be supplied with a surface effect such as an etched frost effect. It is preferred for aesthetic reasons that the vessel 50 maintains a coating of frost even after it has reached a thermal equilibrium with the beverage inside. To achieve this, it is preferred to have an operational temperature below −10° C. Coatings can be used to achieve or enhance this effect. It may be even desirable to include a system for misting or sprinkling water onto the outside of the vessel 50 when it is in the receptacle aperture 40 so as to promote an aesthetically pleasing frost effect on the exterior surface of the vessel 50.

One consideration in the design of a suitable vessel 50 is that when the vessel 50 is used in a commercial establishment it is likely to be washed in a commercial dishwasher in which it may be exposed to a combination of high temperature and corrosive cleaning agents. It is therefore preferred to coat at least the metallic portions of the inside and the outside of the vessel 50 with a surface treatment that can protect the metal from corrosion. It has been found that beverage container coatings can be used for this purpose. For example, for the outside of the vessel 50 a varnish made by The Valspar Corporation provides adequate protection. The specific presently preferred varnish (Product Code 6275000030, Product Name E500B030) includes diethylene glycol butyl ether with a solvent and dimethyl succinate, but one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other varnishes or other coating material may be used. For the interior the Valspar 93AA Beverage lining, Product ID 13S93AA may be used. Again, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other coatings used to line beverage containers or coatings used for other applications may be used. Other coatings for the outside or inside of the vessel 50 may be used so long as they substantially arrest or sufficiently retard corrosion and do not create any toxicity issues for users who will be drinking from the vessel 50. As another example, powder coatings may be used.

The vessel 50 may have any one of several configurations. For example, the vessel 50 could be provided with one or more elements that protrude into the interior volume of the vessel 50 and increase the interior surface area of the vessel 50 to promote heat flow from the beverage to the vessel 50. This is shown in FIG. 6 in which the vessel 50 has a protrusion 320 extending from the center of its base. Also, FIG. 6 shows an example of a vessel 50 made of a combination of materials with an upper portion 330 made of glass and a lower portion 340 made of aluminum. It is preferable to place a 2cl mark on the inside surface of the vessel 50.

For some applications, the vessel 50 will dimensioned to provide an interior volume sufficient to hold a “shot” of beverage. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the diameter of the vessel 50 could be approximately 30 mm, its height could be approximately 60 mm, and the thickness of the glass walls in the upper portion 330 could be about 2 millimeters. This would provide a vessel 50 with an interior volume of approximately 2 centiliters. For other applications, the vessel 50 could dimensioned to provide an interior volume sufficient to hold a larger volume of a beverage. For example, the vessel 50 could be dimensioned to hold beverage in aluminum can. Alternatively, the vessel 50 could be dimensioned to hold a cocktail glass such as a tumbler so that a drink could be mixed while the tumbler is still in the receptacle aperture 40. Of course, the receptacle aperture 40 would also have to be dimensioned to accommodate vessels 50 having larger diameters.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6 the vessel 50 also includes a sensor 350 which may be a temperature sensor. As mentioned, alternatively or additionally, the sensor 350 may include RFID tag which identifies the vessel 50 so that the beverage chilling system has information about the characteristics of the vessel 50. The beverage chilling system 10 could include an RFID reader that uses information supplied by the RFID tag to adapt a chilling “recipe” to the type of vessel 50 identified by the RFID tag. The RFID tag could also be used to reduce pilferage of the vessel 50. To achieve this, the establishment could place RFID readers or detectors near points of egress that could detect when the vessel 50 is being conveyed outside the premises. The RFID tag must be placed in the vessel 50 in such a way that it can communicate using radio transmission. In instances where the vessel 50 is made of metal, for example, it may be necessary to place a small window between the RFID tag and the exterior of the vessel 50.

The above embodiment is made of multiple materials. The vessel 50 may also be machined from a solid piece of material, in which case protrusion 320 could be formed during the machining process and so could be integral with the rest of the vessel 50.

FIG. 7 shows another possible configuration for a vessel 50 with an upper portion 330 made of an insulating material such as rubber and a lower portion 340 made of a heat conducting material such as aluminum. Such an arrangement reduces the likelihood that someone handling or sipping from the vessel 50 will experience pain or discomfort (or even frostbite) from the vessel 50 when it is extremely cold.

As mentioned above, the cooling station 90 need not be configured as an aperture and can instead have a different configuration, for example, one that is flush with or even protruding above the top surface of cover 30. This is shown in FIG. 8A, in which the vessel 50 is shown sitting on the first conductive plate 110 (or, equivalently, one or more thermally conductive elements interposed between the base of vessel 50 and the top of the first conductive plate 110). Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the bottom of the vessel 50 can have a shape other than perfectly planar to increase the surface area of contact between the vessel 50 and the top of the cooling module 100. The top of the cooling module 100 would then be configured to conform to the shape of the bottom of the vessel 50. This is shown in FIG. 8B in which the first conductive plate 110 (or, equivalently, one or more thermally conductive elements interposed between the base of vessel 50 and the top of the first conductive plate 110) is configured to conform to the shape of the base of the vessel 50. Thus, in the configuration shown in FIG. 8B, the cooling station 90 actually protrudes above the top surface of the cover 30.

Also, the case of a beverage being chilled in a metallic can, the bottom of the vessel 50 which would receive the can could be shaped to conform to the “dome” shape commonly found on the bottom of such cans. In such an embodiment, the vessel 50 would be placed in the receptacle aperture 40 and the can would be placed in the vessel 50 after the vessel 50 had reached the predetermined operational temperature. Also, the system could be configured so that the vessel 50 is not removable from the receptacle aperture 40 in normal use.

As mentioned, the beverage chilling system 10 may include a vessel pre-chill station which maintains the vessel 50 at a temperature below ambient temperature so that the vessels 50 may be chilled to their operational temperature more quickly.

One advantage of using a thermoelectric device is that by reversing polarity the cooling element 120 can be made to heat rather than chill a vessel 50 placed in receptacle aperture 40. The vessel 50 may be preheated to rapidly heat beverages. Also, reversing polarity may be used to evaporate liquid in the receptacle aperture 40.

In an example of use, the beverage chilling system 10 is placed on a bar counter. If an external power supply 150 for the cooling elements 120 is used, it is preferably placed away from the console, for example, below a bar counter, so that the external power supply 150 is not exposed to spillage and the cooling element 120 is not exposed to heat generated by the external power supply 150.

The individual operating the beverage chilling system 10 would place one of the vessels 50 into one of the receptacle apertures 40. At this part of the serving cycle, the vessel 50 will be at an ambient temperature or a prechill temperature (see FIG. 10). In the bar setting, this individual would typically be a bartender. With reference to FIG. 9, this corresponds to step S10 of the method illustrated in the flowchart. The vessel 50 may be at ambient temperature before it is placed in the receptacle aperture 40 but as mentioned if it is desired to reduce the time it takes for cooling the vessel 50 to an operational temperature after it is placed in the receptacle aperture 40 then it is possible to pre-chill the vessel 50 to a holding temperature. This pre-chilling can occur at a holding or pre-chill station having its own cooling system, which may include one or more thermoelectric coolers.

With further reference to FIG. 9, in a next step S20 it is determined whether the vessel has achieved an operational temperature, that is, the temperature at which a fluid introduced into the vessel can be rapidly cooled to a desired temperature. As mentioned, the receptacle aperture 40 may include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the vessel 50 and provides an indication when the vessel 50 has reached the desired operational temperature. This indication may be in the form of an electrical signal which may be used to trigger a visible or audible indication of when the vessel 50 is at operational temperature. For example, as described above, the beverage chilling system 10 may have one or more LEDs and the signal could be used to cause one of the LEDs to illuminate.

The time during which step S20 is being performed constitutes a first phase (“Phase I” or “vessel chilling phase”) of the overall beverage serving cycle (see FIG. 10). In a preferred embodiment, it is preferable that the time for Phase I be less than about six minutes, more preferably less than about five minutes, even more preferably less than about four minutes, and most preferably less than three minutes. This makes it practical for the beverage chilling system 10 to be used in a commercial setting where a longer time for Phase I may make the duration of the overall beverage serving cycle too long.

Anytime after the vessel 50 reaches an operational temperature the user may add the desired beverage, e.g., spirits, into the vessel 50 in step S30. Once this is done, heat flows from the beverage to the vessel 50 as the temperature of the beverage decreases and the temperature of the vessel 50 increases until the beverage and the vessel 50 are nearly in thermal equilibrium in step S40. Here, it should be understood that a thermal equilibrium means that the vessel 50 and the liquid within it have reached nearly the same temperature. The system will not be in thermal equilibrium in the sense that the cooling module 100 continues to cool the vessel 50 and a fluid within vessel 50 as long as the vessel 50 remains in the receptacle aperture 40. Primary cooling of the beverage, however, is caused by transferring heat from the beverage to the vessel 50. Additional cooling that may result by direct action of the cooling element 120 during the liquid chilling phase of the serving cycle is secondary.

The time during which step S40 is being performed constitutes a second phase (“Phase II” or “liquid chilling phase”) of the overall beverage serving cycle (see FIG. 10). In a preferred embodiment, it is preferable that the time for Phase II be less than five minutes, more preferably less than about two minutes, and even more preferably less than about one minute. This makes it practical for the beverage chilling system 10 to be used in a commercial setting where a longer time for Phase II may be an unacceptably long period of time for a patron to wait after placing an order.

Thus, the thermal mass of the vessel 50 and the refrigerating capabilities of the cooling element 120 are selected to be such that the temperature of the vessel 50 and beverage at thermal equilibrium reach a desired serving temperature in an acceptably short period of time. The serving temperature can be a predetermined value which may be selectively programmable according to the beverage using a user interface 70 provided for that purpose. Alternatively the equilibrium temperature may be determined when the rate of change of the temperature of the vessel falls below a predetermined threshold. Once the serving temperature has been achieved, the vessel 50 with the beverage inside it may be removed from cooling station 90 and served or consumed. This corresponds to step S50. The user may then put another vessel 50 in the receptacle aperture 40.

As an example, ambient or room temperature in a commercial bar will typically be in the range of about 20° C. to about 30° C. Using four minutes as an example of a duration for a serving cycle implies that each cooling station may be used to chill about 15 servings an hour. As mentioned, a serving cycle is made up of two distinct periods: (1) Phase I, the amount of time it takes a vessel 50 placed in the receptacle aperture 40 to reach a predetermined operational temperature (the vessel chilling period) and (2) Phase II, the amount of time it takes the combination of the vessel 50 and a beverage added to the vessel 50 to reach a serving temperature (the beverage chilling period). There may also be an idling period between Phase I and Phase II during which the vessel 50 remains at the operational temperature before a beverage is added to the vessel 50 but for the purposes of this discussion it is assumed that the user will want to add a beverage to the vessel 50 as soon as the vessel 50 is at its operational temperature.) It is also assumed that in most instances the user will remove the vessel/beverage combination from the receptacle aperture 40 soon after it reaches its serving temperature.

Assuming that serving the beverage and handling payment takes about 2 minutes, a 4 minute serving cycle implies it would be desirable for the beverage chilling system 10 to be able to cool the vessel 50 to its operational temperature (Phase I) in about 2 to 3 minutes. Assuming the desired temperature for the vessel 50 before the beverage is introduced is in the range of about −5° C. to about −35° C., as an example, it may be desired to reduce the temperature of the vessel 50 from about 25° C. to about −20° C. in about 2-3 minutes. It is also desired to cool the beverage once it has been added to the vessel 50 (Phase II) in an amount of time less than the amount of time required to cool the vessel 50 when it is empty (Phase I). In other words, the serving cycle is divided between Phase I and Phase II, and more time for one of these phases leaves less time for the other. It is preferred to make Phase II as short as possible. While this in the abstract appears to leave more time for Phase I there are countervailing considerations. Shortening Phase II implies using a lower operational temperature, a vessel 50 having higher thermal mass, or both. Using a lower operational temperature and/or vessel 50 having higher thermal mass, however, increases the duration of Phase I. Thus, at some point, efforts to shorten Phase II will actually increase the duration of the serving cycle because any decrease in the duration of Phase II will be more than offset by a greater increase in the duration of Phase I. In other words shortening Phase I implies a lower operational temperature which implies lengthening Phase I. If the constraints on the length of the serving cycle constitute a “time budget” oft minutes, e.g. 4 minutes, then it is preferred to expend more of that time budget on Phase Ito make Phase II as short as possible. There is however, a natural limit as further shortening of Phase II incurs a time penalty of an even greater lengthening of Phase I. In a presently preferred embodiment, it is preferred to select the operational temperature and vessel thermal mass such that the serving cycle is about four minutes, Phase I is about 3½ minutes, and Phase II is about ½ minute. Thus the duration ratio of Phase Ito Phase II is preferably about 7:1.

Aluminum is presently the preferred material for the vessel 50 because of its high heat conductivity and because it has a specific heat capacity that permits the use of a vessel 50 of acceptable mass. The wall thickness and overall form and mass of the vessel 50 is determined empirically or based on thermal calculation optimization. For instance, if the vessel has thin walls, it will get cold faster, but it may then not have a sufficient thermal capacity and the temperature at thermal equilibrium with an added beverage will be higher, compared to a vessel with thicker walls.

Some of the considerations and trade-offs involved in the design of the beverage chilling system 10 are summarized in the following table:

Advantage Drawback Better Peltier Lower cooling time None efficiency Lower power consumption Higher cooling Lower cooling time Higher power capacity consumption Higher heat Lower cooling time Larger footprint dissipation rate More noise

As suggested, the design considerations for the vessel 50 and the overall system can be understood in terms of thermal mass, or, equivalently, thermal capacitance or heat capacity. These terms refer to the ability of a body to store thermal energy. Thermal capacitance is typically referred to by the symbol Cth and measured in units of J/° C. or J/K per unit mass. A related quantity is specific heat capacity, measured in terms of J/g° C. For a preferred material for the vessel, aluminum, the specific heat capacity is 0.902 J/g° C. and the specific heat capacity of 100 grams of aluminum is therefore 90.2 Joules/° C. For an alcoholic beverage that is 50% alcohol (100 proof), the specific heat capacity may be approximated as the average of the specific heat capacity of ethyl alcohol, 2.46 J/g° C., and water, 4.184 J/g° C., or about 3.32 J/g° C. If a serving size is approximately 4 cl (about 40 grams) and one wishes to reduce the temperature of the serving from say 20° C. to about 0° C. then this means that the vessel must be able to extract about 4000 Joules from the beverage. Thus it is desired to make the vessel have as much mass as practical in view of the fact that it is generally not desirable to make the vessel so heavy that it is difficult for a user to manipulate it.

As mentioned, thermal mass together with operational temperature determine the rate at which cooling of the vessel 50 occurs during Phase I as well as the rate of cooling of the beverage added to the vessel 50 occurs during Phase II. Because the rate of cooling is a function of the initial temperature differential, it is desirable as a practical matter that the vessel 50 initially be as cold as possible. The temperature of the vessel 50 before a beverage is introduced will obviously in turn depend on the temperature of the cooling element. It is therefore desirable to use a relatively cold cooling element, preferably, one that can achieve temperatures of −50° C.

To show the effects of vessel mass and initial vessel temperature on the duration of Phase II, tests were conducted using vessels made of aluminum and having four different masses as follows:

Vessel 1 2 3 4 Mass [g] 11.5 35.5 45.5 76.5

The vessel was chilled to an initial operational temperature as indicated in the data below. Two centiliters of water at an ambient temperature of about 27° C. as shown were then added to the vessel. The temperature of the vessel and of the water were then measured separately several intervals. The results are shown below:

Vessel 1 Time [s] 0 1 3 7 17 27 35 Vessel temperature [° C.] −9.5 −3.7 3.7 10.1 12 9.7 11 Liquid temperature [° C.] 26.5 25.5 23 18.6 14.7 12.1 11 Vessel 2 Time [s] 0 1 3 9 13 19 22 Vessel temperature [° C.] −19.8 −8.5 0.1 3.5 4.2 5.8 4.1 Liquid temperature [° C.] 26.8 24.2 20.3 15.6 13.1 11.1 8.5 Vessel 3 Time [s] 0 3 8 14 18 22 27 Vessel temperature [° C.] −22.4 −6.3 0.1 0.3 0.2 0 −0.1 Liquid temperature [° C.] 26.8 22.5 14 10.3 8.1 6.6 6.1 Vessel 4 Time [s] 0 2 7 12 16 26 43 Vessel temperature [° C.] −14.3 −14.3 −15 −15.7 −0.7 0.6 1.7 Liquid temperature [° C.] 27 24.8 18.2 12 9 7.6 5.1

As can be seen, the lightest vessel, vessel 1, when cooled down to an initial temperature of −9.5° C. takes about 35 seconds to cool the water within it to an “equilibrium” temperature of 11° C. Vessel 2, which was more massive than vessel 1 and cooled to a lower initial temperature, was able to cool the water within it to 8.5° C. in about 22 seconds. Vessel 3, which was more massive than vessel 2 and cooled to an even lower initial temperature, was able to cool the water within it to 6.1° C. in about 27 seconds. Vessel 4, which is more massive than vessel 3 but cooled to a higher initial temperature, was able to cool the water within it to 7.6° C. in about 26 seconds. This data thus in general demonstrates the dependence of (1) the time it takes to achieve a given final temperature on (2) the mass of the vessel and its initial temperature.

These results are depicted in FIG. 11A. The line 500 graphs the results for vessel 1, line 510 graphs the results for a vessel 2, line 520 graphs the results for vessel 3, and line 530 graphs the results for vessel 4. Thus, for example, if it were desired to achieve a final serving temperature of approximately 6° C. in about 25 seconds (point 540 on the graph), then vessel 3 would be a suitable choice.

To show the effects of vessel mass and initial vessel temperature on the duration of Phase I, tests were conducted using vessels made of aluminum and having four different masses as follows:

Vessel 1 2 3 4 Mass [g] 10 35 45 82

The vessel was initially at room temperature. The temperature of the vessel was then measured separately several intervals. The results are shown below:

Time [s] 0 10 30 60 90 120 200 400 Vessel 1 Vessel temperature 23.43 18.06 4.96 −7.28 −12.6 −15.75 −19.38 −20.48 [° C.] Vessel 2 Vessel temperature 23.24 14.24 2.91 −5.19 −9.65 −12.99 −16.62 −20.54 [° C.] Vessel 3 Vessel temperature 24.62 16.25 5.81 −2.98 −8.61 −12.89 −19.03 −24.81 [° C.] Vessel 4 Vessel temperature 25.35 23.62 18.73 12.45 8.01 3.81 −3.23 −12.56 [° C.]

As can be seen, it takes the lightest vessel, vessel 1, about 400 seconds to cool to about −20.5° C. but it can be cooled to about −12.6° C. in about 90 seconds. Vessel 2, which was more massive than vessel 1 could also be cooled to about −20.5° C. in about 400 seconds, but took 120 seconds to reach about −12.99° C. The other data are as shown. This data thus in general demonstrates the dependence of (1) the time it takes to achieve a given final temperature on (2) the mass of the vessel and the temperature one is trying to reach.

These results are depicted in FIG. 11B. The line 550 graphs the results for vessel 1, line 560 graphs the results for a vessel 2, line 570 graphs the results for vessel 3, and line 580 graphs the results for vessel 4. Thus, for example, if it were desired to achieve an operational temperature of in the range of about −15° C. to about in about −20° C. in 200 seconds then vessel 1, 2, or 3 would be a suitable choice.

The above description includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned embodiments, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of various embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the described embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is construed when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, although elements of the described aspects and/or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. Additionally, all or a portion of any aspect and/or embodiment may be utilized with all or a portion of any other aspect and/or embodiment, unless stated otherwise. 

1. Apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a base; a cover connected to the base, the cover comprising at least one cooling station; and a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned to be in thermal communication with the cooling station; the cooling station being adapted to receive a heat conductive bottom portion of a vessel such that the bottom portion is in thermal communication with the cooling unit when the bottom portion is received by the cooling station, the cooling unit being adapted to cool the vessel when empty and when the bottom portion is received by the cooling station to a temperature below −5° C. in less than about four minutes, the cooling station including at least one vapor chamber.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cooling unit comprises a thermoelectric element having a ΔT in the range of about 80° C. to about 90° C. when a hot side temperature of the thermoelectric element is in a range of about 25° C. to about 35° C.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cooling unit comprises a thermoelectric element having a heat transport capacity of more than 50 watts.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling station comprises a cooling element with an exposed top surface essentially flush with a top surface of the cover.
 5. An apparatus for altering a temperature of a vessel, the apparatus comprising: at least one preparation surface; and a heat transferring unit positioned beneath the preparation surface to be in thermal communication with the preparation surface, the heat transferring unit comprising a first thermally conductive layer, a second thermally conductive layer and a thermoelectric element arranged between and in thermal communication with the first and second thermally conductive layers, the preparation surface being adapted to receive a thermally conductive bottom portion of a vessel such that said bottom portion is in thermal communication with the heat transferring unit when the bottom portion is placed on the preparation surface and the apparatus further comprising a vessel presence sensor configured to detect the presence of a vessel on the preparation surface.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said vessel presence sensor includes an inductive sensor.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said vessel presence sensor includes a reference sensor for measuring a background signal and wherein said vessel presence sensor detects the presence of a vessel by subtracting the backroad signal from a signal from the inductive sensor.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor.
 9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the preparation surface.
 10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of a vessel placed on the preparation surface.
 11. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the apparatus further comprises a control system configured to control the function of the thermoelectric element in dependence of at least one of said vessel presence sensor and said temperature sensor.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the apparatus further comprises a physical condition sensor configured to detect a presence of an object other than a vessel on or in the immediate vicinity of the preparation surface and wherein the control system is configured to shut down the thermoelectric element if the physical condition sensor indicates the presence of an object other than a vessel.
 13. An apparatus according to claim 11 further including a system status sensor for generating a status sensor signal indicating whether an overall temperature of the apparatus falls outside of a predetermined range and the control system is configured to receive the status sensor signal and to cause the apparatus to shut down when the status sensor signal indicates the overall temperature of the apparatus falls outside of the predetermined range.
 14. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the apparatus is adapted to decrease a temperature of a vessel.
 15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the apparatus is adapted to reverse a polarity of the thermoelectric element so that the thermoelectric element heats rather than cools when an amount of ice accumulates on or around a vessel which would trap the vessel.
 16. An apparatus comprising: at least one preparation surface; a heat transferring unit positioned beneath the preparation surface to be in thermal communication with the preparation surface, the heat transferring unit comprising a first thermally conductive layer, a second thermally conductive layer and a thermoelectric element arranged between and in thermal communication with the first and second thermally conductive layers; a vessel placed on the preparation surface, the vessel having a thermally conductive bottom portion and the vessel being placed such that said bottom portion is in thermal communication with the heat transferring unit when the bottom portion is placed on the preparation surface; and a vessel presence sensor configured to detect the presence of the vessel on the preparation surface.
 17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the vessel is made of a material having a specific heat capacity in the range of about 0.2 J/g° C. to about 4 J/g° C.
 18. A system according to claim 16, wherein the vessel is at least partially coated with a surface treatment to protect the vessel from corrosion.
 19. A system according to claim 18 wherein the surface treatment is a beverage container coating.
 20. A system according to claim 18 wherein the surface treatment comprises a varnish. 